An estimated 18,000 Chinese nationals visited Fiji in 2010, according to the Tourism Fiji here Sunday.

This is an increase of more than 32 percent over the 2009 figure, Tourism Fiji Chief Executive Officer Josefa Tuamoto told state owned radio station Fiji Broadcasting Commission.

Tuamoto said that China is an emerging market and his agency looks to get even more visitors from China this year as they lobby Fiji as the best holiday destination in the world.

Tourism Fiji recently organized a workshop in Shenzhen, China for Chinese travel agents and wholesalers. The main thrust of the workshop is to swiftly build on the inroads achieved in China across 2010, Tuamoto said.

Similar workshops were also held in other Chinese major cities of Shenyang, Hangzhou, Guangzhou as well as in Hong Kong.

Tuamoto said planned events for the remainder of 2011 will provide them the perfect opportunity to showcase Fiji' s ever- growing range of diverse products which is critical to the island nation' s growing visitor arrivals.